Forms of Love
by Lunar Maelstrom
Summary: When a questionnaire is handed out, everyone has to answer this question: If love had a form, what would it be? These are the different ways that they view love.
1. Sparkle and Shine

**A/N: **Okay, this is my first Shugo Chara fic ever... and my first fic on this site. This is basically just something that popped into my head. It will probably have around ten chapters, one from each character's POV...

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately, Shugo Chara! isn't mine, and probably never will be. I know, so disappointing.

**-lll-**

**Sparkle and Shine**

Amu sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. They had so much homework now that she had a suspicion she was going to start having nightmares about it. She reached for the next piece of paper tiredly, reading its contents in a daze. Then she reread it.

"What's wrong, Amu-chan?" Ran asked, stifling a yawn as she noticed her bearer stare at the paper.

"I remember; there's some questionnaire going around about how teenagers view love," she answered. "I think our teacher's gonna be marking this as our creative writing piece, though."

"Eh?" Ran looked closely at the question, her eyes brightening. "Wow, this is cool."

"Y-yeah, I guess so," said Amu. Honestly, she was thinking about how badly she was going to fail this.

"Well? What's your answer?"

"I... I dunno..."

"We'll help, okay? Miki! Su! We've got something interesting here!" Ran yelled loudly.

The other two Chara floated up, inspecting the sheet when Ran showed it to them. Both of them agreed to help. Amu smiled at them, and they started to work.

* * *

**Name:** Hinamori Amu

**Age:** 12

**Gender:** Female

**1. Do you believe in love?** Yes.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

If love had a form, it would be a diamond.

Love, much like a diamond, is beautiful. As many women dream of a diamond ring to signify their union with another, many girls dream of finding their one true love. For eons, people have already linked the cherished diamond to their feelings of affection for another.

Diamonds are rare, and as such, so is love. At least, true love, a love that is predestined and fills the heart completely, is rare. Anything short of that is just a shard of glass trying to fool you. To settle for a glass piece instead of a diamond is, in short, a rip-off. Never settle for less, always look for the best there can be so that you can live life satisfied.

Both love and diamonds shine with a dazzling brilliance. Love is flashy and it fills your entire soul. There is no way to ignore it or pretend it isn't there. Love brings clarity to the mind and to the heart, clearing you of all confusion and doubts.

As a diamond is the hardest and toughest mineral in the world, love too is unbreakable. It can overcome any obstacle thrown at it, giving strength and kindness to those who find it.

Love takes time. As a diamond is formed from mere coal under high heat and pressure over millions of years, love can blossom in the heart after years of experience and learning, from the buds of friendship.

As it takes time to form, love will be eternal. Although the brocade or ring in which the diamond is embedded may rust or wear away, the diamond itself will forever endure, unblemished. Even after conflict or death, love will ring out purely and sweetly over the ages.

And lastly, as a diamond is multi-faceted, love has many sides. Mostly it can bring joy and happiness, but at times causes anger, sorrow, hurt, jealousy, anxiety and despair. As a diamond can cut the skin, love can wound the heart. However, one can never regret love, nor can they curse the diamond. Such a beautiful, valuable thing can never be thrown away, only treasured.

A diamond represents love.

* * *

Amu let out a breath afterwards, shaking out her hand in an effort to get rid of the cramps it got from writing too long. That hadn't been as bad as she'd expected it. Still, she hoped that nobody would read it because it sounded so completely mushy, and it wouldn't be in character for her.

"This is really deep, Amu-chan," Miki commented, looking at it.

"I still think that love is more like cookies~desu!" said Su cheerfully. Ran shook her head at her blonde counterpart.

"It was great work, Amu-chan! Everybody's going to be surprised at how fantastic and meaningful this is!" Ran cheered.

The door suddenly swung open and they turned around to see Ami smiling innocently at them from the doorway. "Eh... Ami?" Amu said uncertainly, blinking at the sudden intrusion. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Her sister ignored her. "What are you doing, Onee-chan?" the three-year-old asked curiously.

"We're talking about what love would be if it had a form," Ran said excitedly.

"Form? Love?" The toddler blinked, puzzled.

"Ah, I guess she's too young for that, huh?" Miki mused.

Suddenly the little girl brightened. "Love would be a balloon!"

"Eh?" Amu tried to work this out.

"Because it's filled with lightness, and it floats like a cloud. But you can't let it go or it will fly away and leave you with empty hands," she said triumphantly.

"That's..." started Ran.

"Kinda deep," Miki finished.

"For a three-year-old, it's genius," Amu sighed. It took her half an hour to come up with something she was satisfied with, and Ami found it in half a minute. Figures.

"Look, just go back to bed, okay, Ami?" To her relief, she nodded and closed the door.

"Wow, it's very late~desu! We should all get some sleep, Amu-chan~desu!" Su exclaimed.

Amu looked at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. All of a sudden, her eyes got very tired and she yawned, finally realising how exhausted she really was.

"Yeah, you're right; goodnight everyone."

"Goodnight, Amu-chan!" Her three Chara chanted back.

**-lll-**

**A/N: **Well, what do y'all think?


	2. For Fun and For Laughter

**earth2water1element:** Thank you so much, I enjoy writing these a lot. I didn't expect to get another done so soon, but why not? Consider this one for you, my first reviewer.

**Disclaimer: **Again, Shugo Chara is not mine. If it were, many things would be different... oh what a tragic world we live in...

**-lll-**

**For Fun and For Laughter**

A door slammed, the raised voices dying away, leaving the mansion in a restless silence. Rima clutched at her pencil tightly, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill onto the table. Those two were always at each other's throats and it always made her heart break.

"They're gone now," Kusukusu said, for once not chuckling. Rima sniffed but stayed silent, hoping to calm herself as quickly as possible. She moved to take a comic out of the shelf in order to cheer up, but her Guardian Chara stopped her.

"We have to get this done by tomorrow or they'll phone one of your parents, and then..." she trailed off. And then the whole process will repeat itself; there will be yells, accusations, things broken and tears spilt. Reluctantly, Rima pulled away and reached instead for a sheet of paper among the stack. The cruel sadist that thought up the idea of homework should be executed, in her opinion.

She looked at it for a moment, Kusukusu reading over her shoulder. When they finished, they turned to look at each other. Finally, the small clown let out a snigger for the first time since Rima's parents started their little spat.

"We both know what the answer to this is, Rima!"

The petite blonde girl gave her Chara a small smile. "Yeah," she said, nodding slightly. Without a trace of hesitation, she started to write.

* * *

**Name:** Mashiro Rima

**Age:** 12

**Gender:** Female

**1. Do you believe in love?** Perhaps.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

Love would be a joke; something that makes people happy. If the joke is done right, it should set people free and envelope the heart in joy. It should be an escape from reality so that people feel like they're in a world of their own. Both have no material price yet they are absolutely priceless.

A joke may be about anything, taking many forms and only working on certain types of people. So, of course, love would be much the same; not one single definite thing, but many layers of feelings that only very few people can appreciate.

Of course, people may get through life without experiencing or expressing either of these. No jokes, no fun, no laughter, no true happiness or passion... but then life itself would be worth no more than an expensive car or house. In essence, life would not be worth living. It would be bland, lacking something vital not to the body, but to the soul. To live _is_ to love, and to love is to laugh, and to laugh we need humour, and to cultivate our humour we need jokes. To go through life without any of these is to be a walking zombie, lifeless and dull.

A joke should never be told twice otherwise it will lose its effect, and no two jokes should be exactly the same. So it follows that there should be only one love a lifetime, and that no two loves are the same. Or they oughtn't be, otherwise they aren't worth having at all. And, to get the best out of a joke, you must put your whole heart into it or it will fall flat. Any half-hearted attempts at love would also be futile and ruin the entire thing.

However, love and jokes can become twisted. A joke can be turned from something made to make people laugh into something used as a tool to hurt others. Jokes at other people's expense - jokes that turn lives into living nightmares - are so easily made and not thought out. Love can go horribly wrong when what used to be happiness and freedom turns into possessiveness, jealousy and anger. When truth turns into lies, and everything that used to be bright and rainbow shatters and slowly tarnishes; that's when a joke turns into nothing more than spiteful comments, and love turns into seething hatred.

So, love may be expressed much like a joke. But to stay fresh and sincere, people have to pick what kind of jokes they would like to tell to decide what kind of life they would rather live.

* * *

Kusukusu giggled as she checked the paper. "'Perhaps' you believe in love?" she commented snidely.

"Yes. Perhaps," Rima responded coolly, not looking up.

"Aw, all those fanboys of yours will be so disappointed," Kusukusu sniffed. "And I'm sure that purple-haired boy will be crushed." Rima gave her a sharp glance which the little ball of laughter either did not see or decided to ignore. "What was his name? Nagi..."

Rima coughed loudly, searching for an escape route. "Hey, we've still got time before bed, right? Why don't we read the comic now?"

Kusukusu sniggered and dropped the subject promptly. In another two or three minutes, she'd forget about what they were just talking about altogether, much to Rima's relief.

"Alright!" the clown-Chara cried joyfully, "The usual one! One, two, three... BALA-BALANCE!"

And, for a short while, Rima forgot that her parents could barely stand each other or her anymore, and that her life was just a veil of tears. For a short while, she would be free of her reality, and soar on the wings of happiness. For a short while, she would be surrounded by love.

**A/N:** BTW, constructive criticism welcome, correct me if I'm wrong (I swear I won't bite... hard)!


	3. Something different

**music4soul - **Thank you so much! I love Rimahiko, and even though this isn't meant to be a romance (although the main subject is love), I can't resist putting that in there.

**Sky's Bouquet - **Hmm? You mean Amulet Diamond? Yeah, but that's how their mind really works, right? I get a lot more, shall we say, random as we go on.

**Disclaimer:** Shugo Chara belongs to Peach-Pit, not me. Still, if you want to sue me, you'll get a load of books, some stationary and random stuffed toys that people keep buying me.

**-lll-**

**Something Different**

Kukai was lounging idly on a park bench, tapping the end of his pencil against his chin thoughtfully. There was a closed exercise book in his lap, a single sheet of paper lying on the cover. It was a very familiar sheet - the questionnaire.

"Eh? Kukai? What're you doing?" Daichi, his green-haired Chara asked. He had gone to the greenhouse to check up on the Guardians when his bearer was eating ramen. To find him just sitting there and looking glassily up at the sky was rather disconcerting for him. Kukai was never so still and quiet.

"Oh, there's this questionnaire and I was thinking about what I could write," the brunette said brightly after being startled out of his trance.

"Questionnaire?" Daichi floated closer to read it. He grew thoughtful as well. While Kukai was exceptionally gifted in the areas of sport, perception and charisma, he was not the brightest in academia.

"I don't really know what I should do..." he said in a subdued tone.

"Just pick a sport; you can write about that!" Daichi suggested cheerfully.

"Yeah, but I don't think that's, you know, really right," he said hesitantly. Daichi looked at him worriedly.

"You love sports," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but... Oh! I know!" Kukai shouted energetically all of a sudden. The change in volume caused Daichi to tumble backwards in the air. After a mumbled "sorry" to Daichi, he started to write. The Chara shrugged; as long as Kukai was happy again, it was fine. He peered closer to see what was being written.

* * *

**Name:** Souma Kukai

**Age:** 13

**1. Do you believe in love?** Yup.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

Most people probably think that I'd write some kinda sport or something like that, but I won't. In sport, you train yourself until you can do your best to try to win, and love isn't about whether you win or lose.

So, I think that love is more like fire. People need it, and some people fear it.

Way back, like, a million years ago, fire would be what kept people alive when it got freezing cold outside. It gave light and kept the shadows at bay, scaring off wild beasts. It gave us warmth and security (and also cooked our food), which is what I think love should do (except the cooking food part, obviously. I'm all for equality between genders). Fire also gives you strength; the will to keep going. It gives you passion, and love always comes with passion.

The more fuel you feed it the hotter and higher the fire will burn, which is what love should be like. The more time you get to know someone or spend time with them, the more your love for them should grow. Love is a changing, moving, evolving thing; the shape of the flame may change with the direction of the wind, but it's still really the same in spirit. And fire can be shared equally without ever diminishing, just like love should. As fire consumes fuel, so love consumes your entire body and soul. In a good way, of course. Usually.

But sometimes, if it is confined too tightly, the smoke might suffocate you and blind you to everything outside. Fire is feared because it can burn you, and its smoke can kill you from the inside. For some people, their love is like that. They're scared of it, or don't notice it until it's too late or leave it smouldering silently, and before you know it, it becomes a raging inferno. And instead of life and love, it gives you rage.

Awe. That's the word. People always held fire in awe; they need it, they want it's warmth and they fear its consequences or wrath. People should behold love with awe as well, for so few people find it and it is a blessing, but it may well become a curse.

* * *

"Fire? Cool," Daichi commented when Kukai finally finished.

"Yeah. I know it's not what people expect, but..." he shrugged.

"As long as you want to go with it, that's all that matters," his Chara reassured him.

"Huh. Fire..." For a split second, he envisioned a blonde, hair in pigtails and violet eyes burning with challenge. Then he shook himself out of it, pushing it to one side of his mind. For all that he wrote about leaving fires smouldering and the harm it can bring, he didn't mind denying any of his romantic inclinations until he was older.

"Well, now that you're done with homework, wanna go do something fun?" asked Daichi. "Like soccer?" he suggested hopefully.

Kukai grinned, shoving everything back in his backpack. "What're you waiting for? Let's go!"

And the boy hauled the bag onto his shoulder, racing his Chara home until he ran smack into one of his older brothers who responded by picking on him and setting him chores. Instead of soccer, he now had good, honest, hard work set ahead for him. Poor kid.

**-lll-**

**A/N: **This part was a lot more informal than the other two because that's how Kukai is. And I'm guessing that he isn't as hot in the field of education, because that would make him superhuman. He's already scarily talented as it is. But is it me or does this one seem a lot smoother and more natural than the last two?

The next is Utau's piece! Don't expect daily updates all the time, though; I was sick for the last few days, so school isn't getting in the way at the moment. I'm probably going back tomorrow, so things will get slower.


	4. With a Bang

**music4soul - **I know, I just enjoy writing these too much. Ah, Paris Hilton! No! Get the bimbo exterminator!

**Sky's Bouquet -** It's a good guess. But, unfortunately, way off the mark. You'll see what I mean, anyways. Oh, and this is where it starts to get a lot more, as I said, random.

**FrozenForeverInHisHeart - **Man, your name is long. Thank you so much! I have bad self-control and I just can't resist putting them in.

**black neko hime - **I'm glad you think so. Personally, I think it started off rather flat. Still, hopefully, it'll just get better.

**Disclaimer:** If you haven't worked it out from the first three disclaimers I put up, here it is again; I do not own Shugo Chara! It gets more depressing every time I have to type it up...

**-lll-**

**With a Bang**

The exhausted blonde slumped down onto the couch, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. She'd been practicing her routine for hours until she'd gotten it down to perfection. Tomorrow, it would be the same thing all over again. Even so, she didn't regret this; she was doing what she loved, even if it felt like it was slowly killing her.

"Utau! Answer this sheet! LOVE!" an energetic Eru yelled at the top of her voice. Utau glared at the Chara but was too tired to actually do anything about it.

"Man, how lame can you be?" Iru complained.

"Look! Look! LOVE!" Eru exclaimed again, shaking the piece of paper in front of the demon's face.

Iru glanced at it, prepared to turn her nose up at the subject but ended up getting interested despite herself. Still, she couldn't let Eru know that. "It's a load of junk. Who would be interested anyway?" Iru said quickly, turning her back on it.

Utau sighed. "What is it?"

"LOVE!" was the oh-so-informative response she got. Utau reached up and grabbed the sheet in annoyance. Eru was ecstatic at the prospect of her bearer actually answering the question.

"Besides, why would Utau be interested in writing something like that? After all..." Iru sweatdropped as she recalled Utau's attacks on Ikuto. Her biological brother. It wasn't the ideal pairing by a long shot, and it got very tiring after a while.

"She'll write it about singing, I'm sure. After all, it's Utau," Eru said confidently.

"She probably won't write it at all," snapped Iru.

"But..."

"Fine," Utau interrupted. "If it will shut you up."

Iru sniffed, and Eru cheered. Utau reluctantly picked up a pen, thought for a moment, and then started writing.

* * *

**Name: **Hoshina Utau

**Age:** 14

**Gender:** Female

**1. Do you believe in love?** Why? Is it really relevant?

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

You'd think that I would think love is like a song. It's not. I think love is much more like a car crash. Yeah, you read it right. Got a problem?

You never know when to expect a car crash. It's something that just happens out of the blue due to a variety of circumstances. It's loud, sudden, heart-stopping and its after-effects last for the rest of your life. You suffer traumatic experiences afterward, recalling vividly every second during the accident.

During a car-crash, many people can get hurt. You, the person in the other vehicle, any passengers, people in the cars around you, or even innocent bystanders. Every emotion is multiplied a thousand-fold. Sure, there's stuff like happiness and... er, what else? But there's also sadness, regret, anger, jealousy, confusion, and a sense that the world's going out of control. There's one good emotion, and six bad ones right of the top of my head. So people lash out accidentally, just as the car accidentally smashes into some innocent person strolling along on the footpath and causes a spinal injury.

Not only that, but luck is the only thing that dictates who, if anyone, walks away unscathed. You might end up battered and bleeding while the person in the other car saunters away whistling after minor hassles, like signing paperwork or having to pay for car repairs.

Car crashes change people, for the better or the worse. It kills people, sure, but it teaches people important lessons like 'don't drink and drive' or 'don't talk on your phone while driving', because not only is it annoying, it risks lives. If you survive a crash, you value life more, you're more open to things and you want to live life to the fullest while you can. You also want to prevent anything so bad or life-threatening happening to anybody you know, or at least care for.

There may be adverse effects too, and I don't mean just the physical ones. People might shatter mentally and become overcautious or overprotective and may never wish to ride any form of transport ever again. Likewise, people may become afraid to love or to live fully for the rest of their lives, becoming nothing more than an automated shell.

So, a love is like a car crash. You don't get in the car expecting to crash it, but if it does and you survive, count it as a blessing. It will let you live a better life if you allow it to.

* * *

Eru gaped as she read the piece. "But... but... LOVE isn't a car crash! LOVE is wonderful and beautiful and... and..."

"Go Utau," Iru snickered. Eru actually had tears in her eyes from the injustice.

"No! Utau! This isn't what you really think, is it?" the angel-Chara asked pleadingly.

Utau gave her a look and, without another word, got up and went into her bedroom. Eru was crying by now. "Utau..."

"What did you expect? Utau ain't lovey-dovey. She likes winning and being strong more than anything else. Like with ramen challenges against that kid..." Iru explained. Her smirk slid off slowly as Eru's eyes began to glint again. "Uh oh..."

"I smell LOVE in the air!" Eru cried out joyfully.

"What? No way. It'd never happen," Iru denied emphatically.

"It will, because it's LOVE!" You could literally see the light shining in Eru's eyes.

"_Shut up!_" came Utau's muffled scream from behind the closed door.

Eru retreated, her bright eyes never dimming, plotting ways to get the two together. Iru just shook her head and gave her counterpart a kick in an effort to discourage her. Who knows what'll happen? Who will win? Eru or Iru? Or perhaps they'll all be in for a car crash of epic, fiery proportions soon. After all, nothing is impossible.

**-lll-**

**A/N:** I really had fun with this one, if you couldn't tell. Well, like everybody says... read and review. If you feel like it.


	5. The Entire World

**black neko hime: **Yeah, we all know that. The trick is to make them realize it.**  
the Sky's Boquet: **I know; but of course Utau can't do what others expect her to! Ah, this one is predictable though...  
**insulife:** Thank you! It's good to know that you find it fun; after all, it's supposed to be. Don't worry, you're getting more. Unless I have huge writers' block.  
**FrozenForeverInHisHeart: **I try to keep them as IC as possible, and it's good to know that Utau's (and my) reasoning actually works. Well this one's... well... yeah...

**To All Readers:** Look, try not to hate me if you don't appreciate some parts of this.

**Disclaimer:** Shugo Chara! is not mine. I'm sure that in some faraway world of dreams and fantasy with blue giraffes and winged elephants it could be, but right here, right now... no.

**-lll-**

**The Entire World...**

It was sundown and Tadase finally made it back to his room to sink down into his chair. Being an idol - somebody that people looked up to somebody that was a mere image - wore him out completely. He had had to make another speech and so used Kiseki to maintain the appearance of being cool, calm and collected.

"Tadase, the day isn't over yet." Ah, Kiseki, the purple-haired kingly Chara of his.

"I know," Tadase sighed. "We still have to finish homework and manage some paperwork and sort through ideas to improve our school..." Being king wasn't as easy as people thought it was, even apart from the whole idol thing. It was very tiring, receiving confessions of love on a frequent basis. Kiseki had to handle that, too. The Chara did more mundane work in a day than all the others combined, probably. It was no wonder he was egotistical and self-obsessed. The poor Chara deserved to be.

Speaking of love... "Eh? This is..." Tadase picked up a piece of paper.

"Hmph," Kiseki said as he scanned over the piece of paper. "Such trivial questions should never be asked of the king! This is a question for lowly commoners!"

Tadase sweatdropped. "Well, it's being marked, so..."

"They should not be allowed to order the king around! Forcing us to finish such a foolish paper..."

Tadase turned away, ignoring his muttering Chara, and started to write.

* * *

**Name: **Hotori Tadase

**Age:** 12

**Gender:** Male

**1. Do you believe in love?** Yes, of course.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

I think that love would be a crown. It is something that empowers you, gives you confidence, and is very precious. A good ruler will use the power that comes with it for the best of the people and in turn bring out the best in them. There is a bond between a good ruler and his people based on mutual trust and respect. But sometimes people can get drunk with power. They start doing things selfishly and choke the entire kingdom until nobody is left and the crown is lost in darkness.

The crown is the key to living in the palace. For a kind and just ruler, it would be like a haven from the rest of the world, being airy and full of light. For an evil ruler, they would have a palace full of shadows and suspicion. The ruler will be completely alone, and most probably blind to that fact.

With love, you feel like you rule the whole world if you are able to get close to them. Confessing to them takes bravery, like a king might have to face if his kingdom has to go to war. If the king doesn't ride out, how will his soldiers respect him? To rule means to (smudge, scribble)

(scribble, smudge, drool, smudge)

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I will RULE THE WORLD! Bow before me, (scribble) COMMONERS! I shall take over the world with (smudge) my tights and ruffles! And the fancy plum crown on a STICK! (scribble)

HAHAHAHAHA! You can't stop me! You wouldn't DARE to stop me! HAHAHAHA! (scribble, smudge) HAHAHAHAHAHA! (more drool)

* * *

After finally snapping out of the Chara Change, a mortified Tadase sat there staring at the paper. He was in complete and utter shock of what he wrote. It had been okay right up until the point where he, well, went crazy.

"I like it. Let's hand it in like this," Kiseki said, nodding thoughtfully.

"What? No! No way!" In a frenzy, Tadase started looking for his eraser.

"You're planning to rub everything out?" Kiseki asked, rather disappointed.

"Of course! I can't hand it in like this!" exclaimed the poor blonde.

"Why not? I don't see anything wrong with it."

"It's... it's embarrassing."

"You are a king, and they are lowly commoners. What does it matter what they think?" Kiseki told him haughtily. Tadase didn't answer, delighted that he found his eraser. Just as he was poised to dispose of all evidence of Chara Changing (except maybe the drool, but that can't be helped), his mother's voice came floating up the stairs.

"Tadase! Dinner's ready!"

"Um, yeah, coming!" Tadase yelled back. He was ready to rub it all out when...

"Tadase! Hurry up! We're all waiting!" This time, it was his father's voice.

"Alright!" Giving up, Tadase vowed to do it later on.

Unfortunately, after dinner, he forgot all about it and shoved it into his school bag. In the morning, he would absent-mindedly give it to Nikaido-sensei before remembering what he wrote on it while walking back home. For almost a whole afternoon, he would sit in a corner, depressed.

**-lll-**

**A/N:** Look, I didn't purposely try to set out to bash Tadase, for any Tadase-lovers out there. I just thought it would be interesting to write about since, to tell you the truth, I find Tadase's actual personality a little bland. I'll get it out in the open now; Tadase's character annoys me a little (just a little), but it doesn't annoy me because of a reason like "OMG he's Ikuto's rival! Kill him!" but because of personal tastes. In all actuality, Amu's character annoys me a tiny bit too. It's a difference in opinion. I try not to make my writing too biased upon personal dislikes because it gets in the way of a good story sometimes. [/rant]

Wow that was a long A/N. I hope I didn't lose too many readers through this, but... well anyhow, next up is Nagihiko!


	6. Opening Up

Oh, wow... that's a lot of reviews... Thank you for commenting, everyone!

**Blossoming Hope:** Yeah, I had to think up the ideas for everybody beforehand so I wouldn't get stuck on somebody with no clue about what I should do. But, you know, I could probably make anything sound like love if I had to. I just have to match them to the characters.  
**XYNDiCATE: **Thank you. We all have our preferences, but I made this part more ambiguous for you. And I hope I can.  
**magickalfantasy**: You and possibly several million other fangirls out there. :p  
**insulife:** Like I said, I consider him a bit bland, but I love his Chara Change, so... I'm glad you like it too.  
**earth2water1element: **Well, actually, there's an idea I have for the last chapter... Thank you. And, well, here it is!  
**ForzenForeverInHisHeart:** Thank you. I was afraid that people would overreact (because I'm surrounded by people who do in real life), so it's good to know that at least one Tadase fan enjoyed it.  
**black neko hime: **Hm? Now there's something I hadn't thought about. It's great that they're getting people thinking, because that's what I'm trying to do.  
**music4soul:** I think so too. Well, I can't make the _entire_ story completely serious, can I?

**Disclaimer:** ... You could look at the last five chapters for this, you know. I wonder if people really can sue me for one chapter without a disclaimer? Oh well, better not find out. Shugo Chara! and its characters do not belong to me. In this world, they probably never will.

**-lll-**

**Opening Up**

He'd finally finished dance practice - for both genders. The traditional dance for "Nadeshiko" and his new hobby, break dancing, for his "Nagihiko" side. Yes, he sometimes became confused about his role in life or whether he was one person or two but he knew that this was who he was and that he was fine with it. Of course, soon, he was going to develop ever more masculine features and his voice would crack, but why not get the best out of both world while he could?

"Man, I'm tired," Rhythm complained.

"Don't worry, we've just got a little more to do before we can rest," Nagihiko replied easily. He sat down at the table and pulled the homework they had been set in front of him.

"It's all in a day's work, after all," Temari reminded her counterpart.

"Yeah, we've got to do our best. But still..." Rhythm looked back at their bearer to see a thoughtful expression. "Hey, what's up?" he called out.

"Hm? Oh, no, it's just this questionnaire thing. I was thinking about the answer," Nagihiko grinned at them.

"Really? Let's see," Temari floated over and looked at the page before giggling elegantly. Rhythm joined her and cracked a smile when he read it.

"So I was wondering what I should put," said the boy, shrugging.

"Well, you could always put dancing," Temari suggested.

"Or you could go with something different. It's your choice," Rhythm reminded Nagihiko.

"My choice..." he murmured. "Alright, let's do this." Before long, the scratching of a pencil was all that could be heard in the room.

* * *

**Name: **Fujisaki Nagihiko

**Age:** 12

**Gender:** Male

**1. Do you believe in love?** I think so.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

If your heart were a room, love would be the door. It is something that connects you to the outside world, that anchors you and prevents you from getting cut off and slowly suffocating inside.

Some people choose never to open the door to their hearts, even if their one love comes knocking. They're too afraid that the other person could come in and wreck the room, or that they could stab you in the back. So they lock the door and throw away the key, never taking a chance. There are some people that are just too lazy to get up and make a commitment to something, so they never bother to build the door in the first place.

Others just leave the door open, inviting anyone and everyone into their hearts. They share their most intimate selves with a person they know nothing about, and find that they were really carrying a knife. If they're lucky, the others that have wandered in will protect the person from the assailant, but otherwise they might become broken, and the door sealed shut. Afterwards, they couldn't open it even if they wanted to.

Of course, when somebody thinks that the person knocking on the door is really the one, they would open it and let them in. There's a chance it may work out, and a chance it may not.

But I think that these three ways are all wrong. I think that you should either be the one knocking, or at least step outside of your room - your home, the only place that you can be yourself - and face them as you are; imperfections, insecurities and all. You should see the other person's true self and bare your own soul in return before you venture into their hearts and let them wander into yours.

After all, isn't love supposed to be mutual and sincere?

* * *

Nagihiko eyed his two Chara nervously. They had finished reading the paper and were just staring at it. "Well?" he asked.

They looked up and just stared at him for a long time. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat at their gaze. "How was it?" prompted the uncertain boy.

"Hey, Nagihiko..." Rhythm said slowly.

"Yes...?" the bearer replied just as slowly.

Temari giggled, floating up to him. "You've got a few doors to knock on, haven't you?"

"W-what?" Nagihiko blinked, puzzled.

"Yeah, but he's gotta choose first," Rhythm said, winking.

"Choose?"

"Yes, silly," Temari giggled again. "Rima or Amu," she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Rima?" Nagihiko said incredulously. "Wha...?" He could imagine why they were talking about getting him to knock on Amu's door, but...

"He's clueless," Rhythm said, shaking his head.

"Well, at least he _knows_ about Amu," Temari replied cheerfully.

"Wait, hang on! What're you two...?"

"Never mind, Nagihiko. You've got free time now, and we wouldn't want to waste it by continuing this conversation," the female Chara told him.

"But..."

"Off you go! I need some shut-eye too," Rhythm interrupted. Nagihiko, outnumbered by his own Chara, sighed.

"Alright, but we're going to have a talk about this soon," he sniffed.

"Yes, of course. Now go and have fun!"

"Yes, yes. See you."

**-lll-**

**A/N:** Actually, I have an earnest question for you guys. For my next fic, I'm not quite sure whether to rate it T or M. Basically, there's fighting (fistfights, with quite a bit of detail), and I frequently use "female dog/malicious woman" and "woman of easy virtue" in there, but nothing higher. I think it's M, but to be safe...

Alright, now actually to do with the story; I might not be on very much (or at all) during the weekdays, which is why I'm updating now, and Kairi is next. He doesn't have as many fans as everybody else, but he deserves a little love too, don't ya think?


	7. Stretch or Snap

**Blossoming Hope: **I just thought, you know, they don't actually say that Nagi is all-knowing and emotionally aware. He is cute, though, clueless. Yes, Kairi; the class president.  
**x-kawaii-lullaby-x:** Thank you so much. If people enjoy it, then I enjoy writing them.  
**insulife:** Yep, can't forget the guy with the glasses, especially since I'm kinda short-sighted myself. (And yes, I come from Aussie. Really? There isn't all that much to do here... for me, at any rate.) Heehee, thank you. [finishes brownies] Can I have more? As incentive to keep going?  
**magickalfantasy:** Good point. I think you're right. Especially because pretty much everybody else agreed with you.  
**FrozenForeverInHisHeart:** I hope so too. Rimahiko's pretty much canon now, although they're not even close to being a couple in the manga/anime yet. Well, here it is. Have fun.  
**XYNDiCATE:** Thank you for your opinion; I think I will put it as T. And I always love the characters that aren't given enough attention or are outshone by the other ones in any show.  
**black neko hime:** Hm? Who else is between 10-20 apart from the main characters? Or didn't I specify that? o.0 And I guess in this day and age, language and fights are commonplace among teenagers, huh? T then.

**Disclaimer:** Shugo Chara! isn't mine, blah blah blah, same old stuff... so here's the story.

**-lll-**

**Stretch or Snap**

Kairi cursed his luck. He had just come back to Japan just in time to receive a load of homework. He was almost finished, but he'd had to skip dinner. Even so, it had still taken him until very late at night to get through it all. Now all that was left was...

"Eh?" This was homework? What kind of cruel sadistic person came up with these ideas?

"What is it, Kairi?" Musashi said, floating up to the side of his head to peer down at the page of questions.

"This is..." Kairi trailed off uncertainly.

"This is a very serious question which analyzes the mind, soul and, most importantly, the heart. We must not take this lightly," said the samurai-Chara.

"Um... is it that serious?" Kairi asked. Musashi gave him an odd look.

"Yes."

"Alright then..." Kairi picked up his pencil. "What should I write?"

"Of course, a samurai sword," he answered confidently.

"Right..." Kairi said vaguely. However, another idea was forming in his mind...

* * *

**Name: **Sanjou Kairi

**Age:** 10

**Gender:** Male

**1. Do you believe in love?** ...Yes.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

I think that love would be... an elastic band.

An elastic band holds things together, keeping them from falling apart. It ties people to each other, whether willingly or not. If you are in a relationship without love, everything would fall into ruins, leaving your life in a mess. It is something that defines you, just as your organizational skills somewhat define what you can achieve throughout life.

For different people and situations, there are different types of rubber bands. A rubber band can be twisted and stretched; it is something flexible, not rigid. It can also sting if shot at you, or used to shoot something else at you, which I know for a fact. Like everything else, there cannot be a love without problems. A love that faces no challenges is one that requires only the flimsiest and smallest of rubber bands to hold, but the more obstacles you face together, the stronger your love becomes, and the thicker and stronger a rubber band you need.

As things can get strained in a relationship, the rubber band will have to stretch to accommodate for a larger load to keep together. While the strong elastic band of a relationship that has overcome much would hold firmly, the flimsier one of people who hadn't faced many obstacles at all may break at the first sign of a problematic situation.

However, while it is broken, it is still there. If left unamended, it may turn into something awkward, useless and in the way. However, you can tie the ends of a rubber band together again in an attempt to fix things. The break would be visible and something that may always be between the two in a relationship, but the band itself would still be reusable. Every time you try to fix things and ignore the issue, though, the band becomes weaker and weaker, and easier to snap.

Perhaps the best way to go about broken relationships is not by tying the ends together, but by buying a new rubber band and starting afresh. Face the problems from the beginning, find ways to overcome them, and your love will keep growing and keep you together.

* * *

"An elastic band," Musashi said flatly.

"Y-yeah," Kairi affirmed.

"An elastic band."

"Yes."

"_An elastic band?_"

"Um..." Kairi looked at the incredulous Chara with a raised eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

Musashi shook himself out of his slight daze. "With the choice of all the wonders of a samurai's life, you go and choose an elastic band," he said, sighing and shaking his head.

"Well, yeah..." Kairi said uncertainly.

The samurai-Chara watched him for a little before nodding his head in approval. "Good."

"What?" His bearer blinked at the 180 degrees' change in opinion.

"A samurai must always stick to what they believe is right, not what others feel they should think is right," Musashi explained.

Kairi gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Musashi."

"How inappropriate. We still have a long way to go before you can relax like this. You forgot to finish the maths homework you were set," he pointed out curtly.

"Eh? Maths homework?"

"No dawdling. A samurai never shirks his duties," Musashi ordered. Kairi sighed.

"You're right. Let's see..." He knew that Musashi was actually secretly pleased. But now he had to revise on the LCM (lowest common multiple) and the HCF (highest common factor). Here he was comfortable, because mathematics was predictable and logical. Unlike _some_ papers that are used for homework.

**-lll-**

**A/N:** Okay, next chapter is Yaya. Hers is rather predictable, I think.


	8. The Importance of a Sweet Tooth

**insulife:** Thank you, I try my best. ([om nom noms brownies] I'm gonna keep writing just for these. Oh, well, it's really quite dull where I live. Or perhaps I'm just too busy on the computer to do anything very interesting? Who knows?) I'm glad you think so, and I love excruciatingly long reviews.  
**music4soul:** Really? Poor Kairi. That he is. How can you not like him, as young as he really is? He acts so much older.  
**magickalfantasy:** Hmm... not quite, but close. And no, it's rather the opposite of exercise, really.  
**FrozenForeverInHisHeart:** You really think so? Thank you. Well, here it is.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Shugo Chara! I'm too lazy to think of anything else right now.

**-lll-**

**The Importance of a Sweet Tooth **

Yaya dumped her bag onto the bedroom floor, throwing herself onto bed. She knew she had homework to do, but...

"Yaya doesn't wanna," she sulked.

"You'll get in trouble~dechu," Pepe said in a sing-song tone. She knew how to deal with Yaya. The small girl sat up at once. Being in trouble wasn't cute, and she couldn't lose to Tsubasa!

"Alright!" Yaya yelled, flames in her eyes. "Homework, here Yaya comes!" She stood poised for a moment before dropping back into bed. "But Yaya doesn't wanna!" she whined.

"You're a bad role-model~dechu," Pepe said, sighing.

Yaya sat up again, changing her mind. "Alright, alright! Yaya'll do it. Homework, where are you?" she hummed a little under her breath as she dug through her bag. "Bingo!" She'd found a sheet of paper. Apparently it was the only piece of homework she had, being younger than all the other guardians, except Kairi. The Class-President had more, though, because he missed some classes.

Pepe read the sheet and grinned - well, grinned as much as she was able to with a dummy in her mouth. "This sounds interesting, Yaya~dechu!"

The girl was pouting. "This sounds hard..."

Pepe just sighed.

* * *

**Name: **Yuiki Yaya

**Age:** 11

**Gender:** Girl

**1. Do you believe in love?** Yuh huh! Of course!

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

Yaya thinks that love would be a cake.

Love should be a cake because it is something that you make with your own hands. You can't speed it up or everything will go yuck. There aren't any shortcuts, and you gotta put effort into making it, and enjoy everything along the way, otherwise the cake won't be as yummy as it would have if you had. You gotta mix everything up just right; if it isn't then the cake is bad and you shouldn't have started it in the first place because it's a waste of time and food.

A cake has... those level things. Yeah, layers, that's right. Thanks, Pepe! Right, layers. Love has a lotta layers, too, 'cause it's not just one big blob of feelings, it's got them on top of each other, and mixed in. It can turn into one big, confusing mess if it isn't done right.

Most importantly, Yaya thinks that good cakes are yummy! Love should be sweet and something you want to have all the time. But if you have too much love and get too fat, you can become spoiled and mean, and Yaya hates mean people! And having people hate you is like having a cavity from eating too many lollies. You can add other stuff to the cake to make it taste even better, but it's the cake itself that's the best. And you might not need things like cakes to live, but it makes life a lot better.

And don't forget that no two cakes are exactly the same! Some are chocolate, some have coconut, some have strawberries... but they're all definitely cakes! Everybody likes different flavours and stuff, and it's what makes people unique. Some people's idea of love isn't like other people's, but it's still right. Nobody's the same, and everybody, and every piece of cake, is special.

Oh, and cake makes all the important days seem even more important, and you have to add it to any party. Cake is for celebration! Like for birthdays or weddings, or public holidays, or when congratulating people for a job well done. It's the idea of cake that makes a holiday or special day as special as it is.

And this is why Yaya just loooooves cakes!

* * *

"Yaya's finished!" Yaya yawned when she was done, sitting back in her chair contentedly for a few moments. After several seconds she jumped up, irritated. "Man, Yaya's bored!"

"Are you happy with what you chose~dechu?" Pepe asked.

Yaya glanced up at the baby-Chara and looked back down at her writing task. Her stomach growled loudly. "Wah! Thinking of cake is making Yaya hungry! Yaya wants food!" she whined, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Pepe's hungry too~dechu!" Pepe yelled with her.

"Yaya knows what to do! Yaya'll call Amu-chi and see if she can come with Yaya to get something to eat!" she exclaimed brightly. She whipped out her phone and dialed her pink-haired friend's number. She pouted as it rang, tapping her foot in impatience and smiled delightedly when Amu picked up.

_"Yaya..?"_

"Amu-chi! Wanna come with Yaya to go out and eat?" she asked eagerly.

_"Sorry Yaya, I've got too much homework to do..."_

Yaya pouted. "But I'm hungry, and I'm bored..."

_"Sorry. Maybe next time, okay Yaya? See ya."_

"Alright. Bye, Amu-chi!" Yaya closed her phone and threw herself back onto the bed.

"Why don't we just get a snack to eat~dechu?" Pepe suggested.

"Good idea!" Yaya jumped straight back up again, rushing downstairs. Pepe followed. She was used to all this. It was all in a day's work of being Yuiki Yaya's Guardian Character.

**-lll-**

**A/N: **Okay, there are definitely going to be ten chapters. Ikuto's is next. His is really quite predictable (or at least I think so). More than this one, actually, in my opinion. So... yeah. Thank you for reading.


	9. Through the Night

**Gin-Nee:**It happens to all of us at one point or another. Thank you for saying so. I hope I don't disappoint.  
**xXDrEaMsXCoMeXTrUeXx**: Unfortunately, it's not. But that's a very good suggestion.  
**insulife:** Yeah, she does overdo it a little sometimes. I'm glad you liked it, and I love cake a lot. Wait; does this mean you can't eat brownies either? It's interesting that you asked. My favourite character in SC is Ikuto, but I like to think I'm not an extreme fangirl. He was the one that got me reading the manga and watching the anime. I like to pair Amu off with Ikuto more than the others, because she's who he wants, and who am I to deny him? But Amuto, even later, is actually my least favourite pairing out of Rimahiko, Kutau and itself, Rimahiko fast becoming my fav. Apart from these three pairings, which are basically canon, and possibly Nikaido/Sanjou, I don't really like trying to mash any other ones together. Yay! Fudge! And wow, this was a long answer.  
**FrozenForeverInHisHeart: **Thank you so much. Well it is one of the three you guessed, and if you look at the title, you'll guess.  
**MyForbiddenDestiny:** That's alright. The fact that you were caught up in the story that much delights me. Thank you! Well, you know that chapter when Amu meets Nagi for the first time and they go to the temple where they're supposed to wish for whoever they like to like them back or something? Nagi says that he has someone he likes but can't tell them because of certain circumstances or something and is just watching over them. It's obvious that he means Amu, especially since Rima hasn't appeared in the manga yet. And of course you're excused from reviewing on the earlier chapters.  
**Morningstar04:** Well, all you have to do to find out is read on.  
**magickalfantasy:** No reason whatsoever. :)

**Disclaimer:** I wish it would be otherwise, but I do not own SC. Look elsewhere to sue, any lawyers who have way too much time on their hands and have the equipment to trace my account back to my address and quibble over an anime. Sad, sad people. Then again, I'm the one writing the disclaimer...

**-lll-**

**Through the Night**

"Ikuto~nya?" Yoru whined. Ikuto grunted to show he was listening. "I'm bored~nya!" the Chara announced. Ikuto didn't reply. Yoru stayed silent for a little while, watching people pass by on the street below. Of course they were on the roof of a random house. Where else would Ikuto go to take a nap?

"Ikuto~nya?"

Grunt.

"Can we do something~nya?"

Silence.

Yoru sighed, scratching the back of his head. Then, he got an idea. "I know~nya!" he exclaimed.

Grunt.

Yoru pouted slightly at the less-than-enthusiastic response but continued anyway. "There's that sheet-thing that we got today~nya! It looked interesting~nya," Yoru hinted.

Silence.

"It's homework anyhow~nya. I know that we never really did any before~nya, but this would be like killing two birds with one stone~nya!" Yoru said enthusiastically. His stomach gave a loud growl. "Or eating two birds in one sitting~nya," he said thoughtfully.

More silence.

"'Cause, I mean, doing the thing would be better than just lying there and not doing anything~nya," he continued. "And if we do go to school tomorrow, at least you won't get into trouble~nya! Or as _much_ trouble~nya."

Ikuto sighed and sat up. "Fine."

"Really~nya?" Yoru asked joyously. Ikuto gave him a 'no duh' look, and reached for his bag. "Yay! Something interesting~nya!"

Ikuto didn't say a word.

* * *

**Name: **Tsukiyomi Ikuto

**Age:** 18

**Gender:** Male

**1. Do you believe in love?** Probably.

**2. If love had a form (may be an idea or metaphor), what do you think it would be and why?**

Love... it would be like the moon. It's always there and almost always taken for granted. People look at the moon, yes, but they never really see it. They think that love is some big once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, but it's not. It always surrounds you in the form of friends and family - the bonds that are so often ignored, belittled and carelessly broken. People wait their whole lives to find what they call love and don't notice that they're practically drowning in it already.

The moon doesn't glare like the sun. It has a soft, beautiful light that guides travellers through the darkness of the night. It illuminates the world and casts shadows simultaneously. As such, love brings both security and insecurity, strength and weakness, fear and courage, vulnerability and invincibility. And sometimes, just like the moon, love can be lonely.

The moon always changes from day to day. This doesn't mean that it isn't there or it grows any more or less powerful. Part of it is just hidden until it is time to come out again.

To extend the metaphor even further and add personification, the moon receives its light from the sun and revolves around the Earth. The Earth is a scarred planet, slowly being destroyed by forces not of itself. The sun is a dazzling star, round and whole, providing warmth and a strong light. The Earth probably couldn't help but admire the sun. And there, connecting the two, is the small, unassuming moon.

It isn't sickly sweet. It isn't something fancy or loud or attention-catching or expensive or celebratory. The moon, and in turn love, is something simple and yet inspiring. It is a light that doesn't burn, something so pure and somehow so sad that what is basically a round rock in the sky can pull at the heartstrings. It is mysterious and untouchable, yet its light bathes us every night of our lives.

Simply, for love, the sky isn't the limit. It is boundless.

* * *

"That's so sweet~nya!" Yoru exclaimed. Ikuto looked at the piece of writing. Did he really write that? It didn't sound like him at all. "Are you going to hand it in~nya?"

Ikuto stayed silent for a few moments before finally muttering a "No."

"What~nya?" Yoru was rather shocked. After all, they did just spend quite a while just writing this.

"I don't feel like it," Ikuto said, scrunching the piece of paper into a ball and throwing it onto the street.

"But... Ikuto~nya..."

"I don't feel like going to school tomorrow," he told the cat-Chara. Yoru sweat-dropped. Without another word, Ikuto hopped onto his feet, cat-ears and a tail popping up on his body as he Chara-Changed with Yoru. Ikuto jumped down from the building and began walking away, leaving a sighing Yoru behind.

"Oh man~nya," he complained before following his bearer to wherever he was going next.

Some time later, a certain pink-haired girl with three Charas wandered across the street when a certain piece of paper blew into her face. Her golden eyes grew wide after she read it and, for some inexplicable reason, she stowed it into her school bag next to her own sheet. Ignoring the curious gazes of her Chara, she went home with a head full of questions.

_The moon, huh?_

__**-lll-**

**A/N:** One chapter to go, and then this will be completed. Wow. I hope you've enjoyed this, everyone!


	10. Paperwork, Messes and Marks

**insulife:** I'm not laughing. Smiling in satisfaction, yes, but laughing, no. Thank you so much for the compliments! And for reviewing throughout the story. Really? I thought that it was very predictable, myself, as I keep telling you guys. After all; the moon. And you have to do all that to figure out if you can eat something? And is this why you call yourself insulife? My grandfather has diabetes, but he just has an injection a half-hour before eating. And he usually ignores everybody and eat bowls of ice cream anyway. Yeah, some of them scare me a little bit too, in their intensity. I think you mean plain old fantastic. Thank you for saying so. But... I don't know what my favourite sweet is! Maybe it's all of them mixed together? Although I don't think that'd turn out very well... o.O  
**x-kawaii-lullaby-x:** Yay! Really? Thank you so much for saying so. Cookie! Yay!  
**FrozenForeverInHisHeart:** Heh, your powers of deduction are fantastic. Here it is!  
**wolfgirlnowandforever:** Thank you. Epic win? Well, I'm happy you think so.  
**Morningstar04:** Read on and see... I LIKE COOKIES TOO! Yippee!  
**MyForbiddenDestiny:** Thank you and no problem. Well, I can, so here it is. Obviously.  
**magickalfantasy:** Was it? I thought is was more predictable than, say, Kairi's, but I guess I'm kinda glad you didn't get it straight away. It means I'm not doing something generic. Right? Right? Well anyhow, thank you!

**Disclaimer: **For the last time, I do not own Shugo Chara! but I'm flattered if you think I'm capable of artistic talent to that extent.

**-lll-**

**Paperwork, Messes and Marks**

Yuu - or as he was more commonly known, Nikaido-sensei - rubbed his eyes tiredly. Oh how he wished he didn't have to give so much homework out, not to mention getting it into his stubborn head to pursue other time-consuming, eye-watering activities involving paper that he needn't. One such activity involved chasing down the teachers of everybody in the Guardian Four (past and present) and even the Tsukiyomi's teachers. Why? He was curious as to how they would answer a certain questionnaire. He was definitely regretting that now. Just looking at the pile made him groan out loud.

There was also one other tiny problem that was giving him a headache...

"And _why_ did you have to choose to do all this in _my_ office?" Yukari Sanjou asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Yuu turned to her with a cheerful, albeit tired, look on his face. "Because my home isn't the neatest place in the world?" he suggested.

"And mine is?" Yukari asked pointedly. Yuu looked around the room, taking in the unwashed mugs and paperwork strewn all over the tables and floors with a pleasant expression.

"Granted, it isn't at its best..."

Yukari's temple throbbed. "Not at its best," she echoed through gritted teeth.

"That's right, _Yukari-chan_," Yuu encouraged. Her eye twitched.

"It's _Sanjou-san_ to you, _Nikaido_," she told him in a dangerously sweet voice. His face drained of colour, the smile slipping away. Yuu knew from their dating days that it did not do to push her much further than this, although what he had done to get her so angry, he had no idea. Heaving a heartfelt sigh, he turned back to the task at hand. That was enough procrastinating; it had to be done since he had volunteered to do it. He reached for the first piece of paper...

And paused. After all, it wouldn't be fair to just judge the students without first seeing how you would do yourselves, was it? But since he was much too tired to complete the sheet, he figured he could just choose something and explain it in his head.

Did he believe in love? Well, that question shouldn't really apply to him really, now did it? It was meant for teenagers, not adults.

If love had a form, what did he think it would be? Yuu frowned. If love had a form... it would be... glasses. Yeah. Glasses. It helps you focus and see better, and makes life easier, right? Yeah. He'd have chosen glasses. Different glasses suit different people, with varying degrees. So varying strengths of your love? Something like that, anyway.

He decided that it was good enough, then pulled the first questionnaire so that it was in front of him.

First up was Yaya Yuiki.

Yuu looked at it critically, red pen at the ready and keeping in mind her age. She even _wrote_ in third person? That was an overkill in the cuteness department. Not to mention actually thanking her Guardian Chara in the actual text. No editing, but surprisingly few mistakes. The subject, well, could be considered creative from any other person but for the girl in question it would just be a matter of course. There was too much colloquialism. Yuck? Yummy? Lotta? And personal opinions that have nothing to do whatsoever with the topic were also added in.

After several moments of silent debate, he scribbled a B- in the bottom, right-hand corner of the page.

Next up was Amu Hinamori, or as he liked to call her, Hi_m_amori. Leisure time.

A diamond. Well, he figured that that was just a little bit generic. Not too creative, and a few sentences were awkward to read. The sounded really rather disjointed and the entire piece was rather poorly structured. But she _was_ an elementary school student, so what did you expect?

A- for the Joker.

Nagihiko Fujisaki's paper followed.

A door. He represented four ways to either bar your heart from love or to accept it and take a chance. Excellent use of metaphor, especially considering that the door is often used as one for opportunities. It was relatively rather short but the sentences were to the point and, besides, they didn't set any word limits, trusting that the students who cared would write enough to please the teachers.

After writing down an A, Yuu decided it was time for a break.

Yukari was at her desk, trying to complete the paperwork and manage a schedule that would make Utau more poplular. She looked even worse than he felt.

"Um... Sanjou-san?" he asked politely, not wanting to push her. The woman looked up, rather glad to have something, anything, to distract her.

"Nikaido," she acknowledged crisply.

"Tell me; what do you think love would be if it had a form?" Yuu was curious.

Yukari glared at him suspiciously. "Why...?" she asked slowly.

"It's just this questionnaire they're handing out to the kids. I'm marking the ones for the Guardians and Tsukiyomis, even though I don't need to mark any from outside of my class..." he explained.

"You've got Utau's?" Yukari rushed over to where he was sitting, a fire in her eyes. "Let me see!" she demanded.

He started to object but thought better of it as the woman flicked through the remaining sheets in a frenzy. Finally, she triumphantly pulled one out of the pile and scanned through it.

"What's it say?" Yuu asked as he saw her raised eyebrow and rather exasperated appearance.

"She thinks love is like a car crash," Yukari said flatly.

Yuu tried to stifle his laughter but failed miserably, causing the manager to scowl at him. Then she regained her composure and adjusted her glasses in a businesslike fashion, deciding to ignore her ex-boyfriend's chuckles.

"I guess it's understandable though," Yuu acknowledged after calming down, "considering her history."

"Easter."

"The Director."

They both sighed, ashamed of what they had been like before they quit that company. They stayed in companionable silence for a while before Yuu spoke up again.

"So?"

"So what?" she asked back.

"What do you think love would be if it had a form?"

Yukari paused for a moment and then pointed to the desk she had just vacated. "That," she proclaimed dramatically.

Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Paper?"

She smacked him on the head. "No, you idiot. A mess. A complete and utter mess that, no matter what you try to do to fix it, always stays there irritating the hell out of you," she elaborated.

"You're just as morbid as your charge," he commented and was rewarded with another smack.

"Shouldn't you be getting on with your teacherly duties or whatever?" she huffed. "I still don't get why you kept that job anyhow."

He sighed. "Who knows?"

Then he reached for the next sheet of paper. Kairi Sanjou.

"Hey, Sanjou-san, would you like to see your brother's answer as well?" he asked nonchalantly.

Yukari hesitated, then snatched it away from him. "He better be doing well at school," she muttered. Then she read the reply. For the second time that night, she held an exasperated look on her face.

"It's not another car-crash, is it?" Yuu joked.

She looked at him with a dark expression on her face, causing him to flinch. "No," she said ominously, "he thinks it's... a rubber band."

For a moment he just stared at her before bursting out into laughter again. She smacked him for the third time that night, only harder this time. He shut up but couldn't stop the corner of his lips from twitching upwards every now and again.

"I guess... I guess all the students that have something to do with you... are all going to grow up... unique, right?" he commented between silent fits of laughter.

"Shut it, Nikaido."

He didn't say anything else, but took the sheet back and began marking it.

Well structured, as one would expect from Kairi. Very creative. Especially since he's the youngest of the group. Nothing really wrong. It was great for a ten-year-old.

Yukari would have been pleased to know that her brother got an A+ if she hadn't thought his subject choice as ridiculous.

The other Tsukiyomi came up next. Actually, Yuu only had this sheet through a stroke of pure luck. His teacher had told him irritably that Ikuto hadn't even bothered to go to school, let alone hand in the questionnaire. Weirdly enough, later that same day, he found a crumpled sheet of paper bearing his name on the floor of his classroom. How it got there he had no idea, but he was glad it did.

Ikuto had taken love as a more general term, not the 'true love' that everybody else had taken it to be. Family, friendship... he valued them ever more because of the Director's meddling. And of course, his own orders while he was still with Easter. The guilt-ridden teacher had a huge urge to just put down an A+ to try and somewhat make up for it. It was a thoughtful piece; introspective and philosophical, certainly, but for an eighteen-year-old he could do better.

So he put down an A.

Oh, he had almost forgotten; he hadn't marked Utau's yet.

He had to admit, he would have never thought that anybody, let alone a teenage girl, would think of love as an automobile accident. Still, as he read it through he did realize that, in a way, it was. Unexpected, definitely original, but she had been rather... informal and even a little bit defensive and rude in the beginning.

Utau 'Hoshina' got an A-. Yukari would not be pleased that her fourteen-year-old charge received a worse grade than her ten-year-old brother.

Yuu sat back and yawned, sipping at his coffee. He was almost finished. Only three more to go.

Rima Mashiro.

If he hadn't known about her Guardian Chara, he'd have been stunned to read this. Rim and jokes just didn't seem to mix, but she was actually quite the serious comedian, he was told. The girl never laughed but, reading this, he'd have thought otherwise.

The current Queen received an A.

Kukai Souma.

In reading the first few lines, Yuu was pleasantly surprised. In truth, he _had_ expected it to be some sport or other. But he had to agree that fire seemed a much better idea for love. Unfortunately, this was very informal. Not as much as Yaya's, granted, but still enough to lower the marks. Especially adding in the unnecessary 'like', and that comment about cooking.

B+ for Kukai.

And last, but not least, Tadase Hotori. He was expecting something good from the King's chair, especially since Tadase was such a well-mannered and smart young man. Even if he didn't really think so while he was with Easter... it all came back to that blasted company, didn't it?

A crown. Ruling. That wasn't such a big surprise. So far pretty good...

When Yuu reached the end, he couldn't help but let out a weak laugh. Yukari looked up at the sound, growing curious at his 'I can't believe this' expression.

"What?"

"I think... Hotori Chara Changed in the middle of his questionnaire," Yuu said.

Yukari remained blank. Either she had never faced his Character Change, or didn't recall it.

"Just... just read it." Yuu held out the sheet to her, wiping his palm over his face. When Yukari's eyes reached the rather insane scribbles punctuated with drool, smudges and odd scribbles, her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. Then she started to laugh.

"This... this is gold," she snickered.

Yuu let out a long-suffering sigh. "What do I do about the mark? I know the reason, but you can't expect me to just ignore it..."

"Show it to his class!" Yukari suggested, smiling.

Yuu glared. "This isn't funny."

"Yes it is," she pointed out.

The teacher stared at the paper before cracking a smile. "'I shall take over the world with my tights and ruffles. And the fancy plum crown on a stick'," he quoted without the use of all the exclamation marks.

"'You can't stop me'," Yukari said, joining in.

"Apparently, this is the reason why he wanted the Embryo," Yuu chuckled.

"Really? I feel sorry for the world. How did he ever convince the others to go along with this?" Yukari wondered.

"'Because it sounded like fun' is their excuse, I think." They both laughed at the utter idiocy for a while.

"Well?" Yukari finally said, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Well what?"

"What mark are you giving him?"

Nikaido looked at the piece of writing. Then, after several moments of serious thought, wrote down a B. He stood up, stretching. It was over. Finally over. He could rest. Looking back at Tadase's sheet, he figured that something was missing. So underneath that mark, he wrote a comment.

_Next time, use an eraser._

**The End**

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**A/N:** This is the longest chapter by far. Well, Forms of Love has come to an end. Thank you everybody who has reviewed or will review; you've all made my day. From now on, and for the rest of my stories, I'll be replying via PM, so... yeah. I hope you've all enjoyed this! And thank you for the cookies/brownies/sweets!


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